]]>9415Release: Xdata 4.9 for QuarkXPress 2016/2017/2018http://emsoftware.com/2018/05/21/release-xdata-4-9-for-quarkxpress-2016-2017-2018/
Tue, 22 May 2018 00:57:22 +0000http://emsoftware.com/?p=9294This release of Xdata adds support for QuarkXPress 2018, discontinues support for QuarkXPress 2015, and fixes problems with the macOS Universal Clipboard.

Changes

Adds support for QuarkXPress 2018. This upgrade is free for users with Xdata licenses for QuarkXPress 2016 and QuarkXPress 2017; the Xdata XTension will find and automatically use your existing license so long as it was previously activated on that same machine. If you’ve updated to QuarkXPress 2018 from a version older than 2016, you’ll need to contact our sales department to purchase an Xdata upgrade license.

Removes support for QuarkXPress 2015. While we’ll no longer fix problems in or add features to this older version, we will otherwise provide normal support indefinitely.

Fixes an incompatibility with macOS 10.13 High Sierra’s new Universal Clipboard that could prevent Import from Clipboard… from working. (macOS only)

Allows the fieldindex() function to resolve an arbitrary expression as a field reference. For example, given a field named “price”, fieldindex("price") will now return the same value as fieldindex(price). When combined with fieldvalue(), a prototype can now be designed that lets the imported data determine which field is used in any given expression (like «put fieldvalue(fieldindex(price_field_for_region)) into price»). Note that, to use the *value* of a field as the argument for fieldindex(), the value must first be copied to a variable that is then given as the fieldindex()‘s argument (because given an actual field, fieldindex() will just return the index of the given field name).

Changes

Allows the fieldindex() function to resolve an arbitrary expression as a field reference. For example, given a field named “price”, fieldindex("price") will now return the same index as fieldindex(price). (Before, it would’ve returned the value 0 because the string "price" wouldn’t have been seen as a bona fide field name.) When combined with fieldvalue(), a prototype can now be designed that lets the imported data select the field that’s used in an expression (like «put fieldvalue(fieldindex(price_field_for_region)) into price»). Note that, to use the value of a field as the argument for fieldindex(), the value must first be copied to a variable which is then used as the fieldindex() argument (because given an actual field, fieldindex() will just return the index of that field).

Fixes a long-standing problem where XPress Tags settings like translations and macros were being lost between styled puts. Now, when using XPress Tags-styled puts, a translation table or macro can be set with the first record and remain active for all styled puts throughout the entire import. This change aligns InData behavior with existing (and long-standing) Xdata behavior.

Changes

Adds support for QuarkXPress 2017. The QuarkXPress 2017 XTension requires a valid Xdata 2017-level license. Please contact our sales department to purchase an upgrade license or to obtain a free upgrade if you purchased Xdata within the last nine months.

Removes support for QuarkXPress 10. Download links for Xdata 4.7, the final version for QuarkXPress 10, can be found in the side-bar on the Xdata Release History page. While we will no longer fix problems in or add features to this older version, we will otherwise provide normal support indefinitely.

Fixes a problem introduced in the 4.7 release that could cause an import to lose or damage tab settings, or even cause the application to shut down.

Fixes a problem introduced in the 4.7 release that could prevent a file on the startup volume from being found if specified with a full, /Volumes/<startup volume>/…-style path. (macOS only)

Changes

Adds prototype frame badges to indicate which story is marked as the document’s active prototype. Prototype badges can be hidden or shown with View > Extras > Hide/Show Prototype Badge.

Fixes a problem introduced in the 2.5 release that could prevent a file on the startup volume from being found if specified with a full, posix-style path (like /Volumes/<startup volume>/…). (macOS only)

Changes

Adds the picture property pictureimportpage to import a specific page from a PDF. For example, <<set pictureimportpage of pic 1 to n>> would select page n of the imported PDF, where n is an expression resulting in a non-negative integer. Page numbers begin at 1 (one), but page 0 (zero) may be specified in order to use QuarkXPress’s global default (the page last set in the PDF import options dialog).

Specifying page zero is the same as not setting the pictureimportpage property at all. Invalid page numbers (negative or out-of-range values) result in the first page being imported.

Note that because of how QuarkXPress works, the specified page number will become the global default for future imports until changed by another pictureimportpage.

Adds the picture property pictureimportcrop to control the cropping of an imported PDF page. For example, <<set pictureimportcrop of pic 1 to n>> where n is an expression resulting in one of the following values:

0 (zero) – uses the InDesign global default (the cropping last set in the PDF import options dialog).

1 – crops to the media

2 – crops to the page

3 – crops to the content (bounding box)

An invalid value is ignored. As with pictureimportpage, the specified cropping will “stick” as QuarkXPress’s default until changed by another pictureimportcrop.

Fixes a long-standing problem that would cause an import to fail if the file’s name contained a colon (displayed as a forward slash in Finder). (macOS, QuarkXPress 10+ only)